A negative voltage may be used to supply power to portions of an embedded system. At least two common circuit schemes exist for generating a negative voltage supply. One scheme for generating a negative voltage supply is a charge pump type DC/DC converter. A charge pump is generally less expensive to implement, but tends to be less efficient than some other schemes. Another common scheme for generating a negative voltage supply is a buck-boost type DC/DC converter. A buck-boost may be somewhat more expensive than some other schemes, but tends to be more power efficient than many other schemes.
Often, the decision of which scheme will be used to generate a negative voltage supply in a system is made earlier on, frequently at the concept phase of a project. As the project progresses, the design becomes more fixed around the choice made and becomes less flexible to change. This inflexibility may lead to increased project risk and a reduced ability to adapt to changing project priorities.